The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-04-09
A Modern Romance.

JOlceQ IN MS ue1eaI.
A Modern Romance.
Colonel William K. Rogers is wealthy
grape grower of Sonoma, California. For
thirty years he has been a prosperous and
trusted citizen of that State. Only a few
have known that the X. of his name stands
for Kissane, and fewer still have had any
suspicion that associated with that name
there is a record of crime and adventure
stranger than the writer of fiction often in
vents his most mysterious characters. Yet
such seems TO be the case, if we may trust
the accounts of his life which the newspa-
pers have been led to publish by little in
cident which has happened in New York.
This incident happened in the Court of Gen
eral Sessions. There is in that court an in
dictment against one William Kissane for
forgery. This indictment was made over
thirty years ago. The sufferer by the for
gerry was the Chemical Bank of New York,
and the sum out of which 1t was swindled by
this Kissane would now amount to $4,000
About a week ago a California LAWYER
named Hart, appeared in the court and
moved that the old indictment be mol pressed,
proceeding which would, in the ordinary
course Of court procedure, amount to an
acquittal. But Recorder Smyth refused to do
it, BE had learned some facts about this
kissane; one of them, that he is now the
wealthy Colonel William X. Rogers of So
mona. The other facts, which the industri-
GUS newspapers in all parts of the country
have been collecting, when arranged in
chronological order, form dark and re-
markabe romance in real life
On New Years day, 1882 Sidney Burton
was a prosperous business man of Ohio City,
near Cleveland, Ohio. He was worth about
$4,000, man-sf ehafaaesrserd Position. In
the course of his business he wanted to ship
TO New Orleans three thousand dollars
worth of sheep skins Through Cincinnati
firm he loaded them at that port on board
the steamer Martha Washington bound for
New Orleans The managers of the Martha
Washington were William Kissane and
eleven others. Kissane and three others.
were the husbands OF four adventurous
Massachusetts, girls, and the four brothers of
these girls made up another four of the
twelve. Buttons sheepskins, as he always
maintained. were surreptitiously removed
from the Martha Washington just before she
sailed, as were also the other valuable goods.
Then, loaded with bogus cargo, well in
sured, the boat left Cincinnati for New Or
leans. On January IA, 1852, the Martha Wash
ington when in the Mississippi opposite the
Arkansas shore, took fire and burned. Six
teen persons persisted.
At first this was regarded as one of the in
evitable accidents attending steamboat nayi-
CATION, but very soon a horrible suspicion
was aroused. Kissane and his eleven asso
ciates were arrested for burning the boat to
obtain the insurance. Burton, who had lost
the sheepskins, was the most active prose
cutor. Kissane was put under bonds, George
ii. Pendleton, now minister to Germany, be-
ing one of his bondsmen. The prosecuting
attorney was Henry Stanberry, afterwards
Attorney General of the United States. The
trial, which took place at Columbus, failed
to convict the conspiratoTs through tech
nicality. The evidence seems to have been
trustworthy; but it was never afterwards
available. tits said that the night after the
trial ended Stanberry's safe was blown open
and the papers in the case stolen; it is also
alleged that nine of the principal witnesses
in the case met with violent deaths soon af-
ter One Of them was shot at the door of his
own house. The steamer had Leen burned
in Arkansas, and there public sentiment
was so aroused that indictments for murder
were found against Kissane and his asso-
ciates. They were taken to Helena for trial.
This was in 1854. Burton, who had los. the
sheepskins, was the animating spirit of the
prosecution still. The indictments are still
to be found in the court room at Helena, al
leging in the quaint form of the time, that
the defendants, mot having the fear of God
before their eyes, but being instigated and
seduced by the wiles of the devil, have COM
mitted murder by burning to death one
Daniel Fox" Attic preliminary examination
the prisoners made such favorable impress
sion that they were released on bail. When
the time for trial came ten Of the defendants
appeared, armed with every influence that
legal talent could suggest and money pro-
cure. Kissane and one other did not appear
as they were imprisoned in New York for
forgery. The first of the ten defendants
was acquitted, much to the disgust of the
people Of Arkansas, as the papers of that
date attest. Against the other nine the in
dictments were mol pressed; but the indict-
ment against Kissane still stood, and stands
to-day.
Burton was much disappointed with the
result of this trial, and, though his life was
threatened by the gang, persisted in his cru
SADIE the more earnestly. Joshua r. Gid
dings, of Ohio, and Stephen A. Douglass, of
Illinois, were his friends, and, probably
through them, Franklin Pierce, while Pres
ident, offered Burton a position as a treasury
detective. Burton accepted on condition
that he might use portion of his time to
ferret out the conspirators who burned the
Martha Washington. 1t is said that Kis-
sane's friends, hearing of this, sought re-
venge ON President Pierce by hiring lobby
lists to prevent the passage of the next APP
preparations.
kissane did not stay in prison long Soon
after his release his relentless prosecutor
Burton, died, from the effects OF poison. IL il
said. With him out of the way, Kissane
seems to have kept clear of the law until
1856. This was about the time of Walkers
famous Hlibustering expedition to Nicara-
qua. Assuming the name of William K.
Rogers, Kissane joined Walker. His singu-
lar bravery recommended him to Walker
and he became one Of the cabinet. After
Walkers defeat by the allied forces Of the
five Central American states, William Kis-
sane Rogers disappeared for a time, to re-
appear again in California. Where he was
during this interval Of time is not certain.
An Associated Press despatch from Lam
sing, Michigan, says that prominent Jap
anese merchant Of that place recognizes Kis-